How to Make a Computer Game

Do you love to play games and want to realize your imagination to create games yourself? There are many tools that allow you to create your own games without requiring too much skill, you just need to understand a little programming language. With a +2 computer mouse and keyboard, you can get started!

Table of Contents

Find Tools

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Make a text game. This is the easiest game genre to program, although not everyone likes to play games without graphics. Text games focus mainly on plot, puzzle or adventure combined with story, exploration, quizzes. Here are some free options:

Twine is a simple and free tool that can be used in the browser.
StoryNexus and Visionaire add more gameplay options and stills.
Inform7 is an effective tool with a large support community.

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Making 2D games. GameMaker and Stencyl are good choices for this genre, they allow you to use programming without asking for anything. Scratch! is another tool that can be used in game browsers.

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Try making 3D games. 3D games are a much tougher challenge than 2D, so you should be mentally prepared for a long project and hard work. Spark and Game Guru make it easy to build game worlds without programming. If you already have some programming knowledge or want to learn about coding, you can try the popular tool Unity.

If you want to create 3D models yourself instead of using existing resources, you need 3D creation software like 3DS Max, Blender, or Maya.

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Access to advanced programming. Even if you have a background in programming, you may want to use the above tools when creating your first game, don’t force yourself to try a different approach just because it’s more difficult. With that said, many people like total control so they do everything themselves. However, programming a game in an Integrated Development Environment like Eclipse would be more ideal than a text editor, so you can combine everything you need for the project.

You can program games in almost any language, but C++ is the most powerful tool, with rich game resources and tutorials online.

Create Game

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Choose a topic. For your first project, create a small but typical example of your favorite genre, such as a platformer or role-playing game. Before you start, write your game idea down on paper, answering the following questions:

What is the main component of the game (the “core” of the game)? Be it fighting enemies, solving puzzles or chatting with other characters.
How do you want the game to look? For example, if fighting an enemy, it is possible to create a real-time button or multiple directions based on decisions. A game that is more conversational can let players form a plot based on their decisions, they can understand the characters and the game world more.
What is the mood of the game? Scary, fun, mysterious, eager?

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Create levels of simplicity. If using game crafting tools for the first time, this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with them. Learn how to set backgrounds, objects, and move characters. If possible, create objects that the player can interact with, or look for custom object creation software to see if they have interaction built in.

If you’re unsure about something, ask a question on the tool’s website or search the internet for help.
Don’t worry about lighting effects or other graphic elements.

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Design the core of the game if needed. You can make small adjustments on your game-making software, or build a more complex system. Here are some examples:

If you’re making a platformer, do you want the character to be able to jump twice as high or perform a “special” movement? Customizing the height the character can jump, or a different reaction when lightly tapping, holding keys, or choosing different dance styles?
If you were to make an action or horror RPG, what weapon would your character use? Choose 2 or 3 weapons for the player to upgrade or try out. Try to choose the most appropriate weapons. For example, a weapon that deals high damage, injures multiple enemies, or weakens the enemy. Don’t choose the best option for all purposes unless it comes at a high cost (a spell that increases mana, or a weapon that disappears after 1 use).
With a conversation game, do you want the player to choose the line of dialogue listed on the screen, or just listen, or perform a quest to unlock the dialogue, then return to continue listening? Do you want players to find everything in one go, or split into multiple paths and different endings?

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Create several levels. 3 to 5 short levels is a good choice for the first game, you can expand it later. Keeping the “core of the game” design in mind, create different difficulty levels. You can arrange the levels in order, or separate and then combine them after completing.

Platformer games often introduce faster moving platforms or enemies.
Action games can introduce multiple enemies or a strong enemy that is difficult to defeat without specific weapons and tactics.
Quiz games are often tied to one type of puzzle, either using multiple versions of difficulty for each level, or introducing new tools or obstacles that require the player to “brainstorm” more.

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Create medium and long-term goals. This is often referred to as “second mechanics” or “replay games”. By using the core mechanics of the game like the high jump, the player enhances a second playthrough, such as jumping on enemies or collecting items. This turn can lead to achievements and long-term goals such as reaching the final level, saving money for upgrades, or “breaking” the game.

As you can see in the example above, you added the above without even realizing it. Just make sure the player can figure out the target. If players play 10 minutes and think the game is just about shooting enemies, they will get bored. If they kill the enemy and get the money, they will find the target (collect the bounty) and the core of the game will move them forward.

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Try playing. Try each level several times, asking a friend or acquaintance for help. Try approaching the game in a variety of ways, including methods you’ve never tried like skipping quests and going straight to the final boss, or winning the game by choosing all “weak” or upgraded weapons. This is an arduous process that can be frustrating, but the only way to improve the game.

Only give the tester enough information to start playing. They need to understand what they’re doing, and how to use the basic controls. They don’t need to know other information. ^{[1] X Research Source}
Let players try to fill in the feedback form for you to collect, compare information more easily. ^{[2] X Research Sources} . This also allows you to answer questions that are not clear to you.
The best test players are those who don’t know you, or aren’t forced to praise your game. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Polished graphics and sound. While you can find many free game resources online, you should still take the time to self-correct the inconsistencies. Learn pixel graphics if you want simple graphics tweaking in 2D games, or use OpenGL software for an ambitious 3D game project. Added lighting effects to cheer players up through the main path out of the room, and eye-catching attack effects instead of dynamic backgrounds. Add sound effects when walking, attacking, jumping, etc. You can change and play it many times, and launch the game as soon as the visuals and sound are up to standard. Congratulations!

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